Cooperative Programs
OSHA offers a number of avenues for businesses
and organizations to work cooperatively with the Agency.
-
 Alliances.
The Alliance Program enables trade or professional organizations, employers, labor
organizations, and educational institutions that share an interest in workplace safety and health
to collaborate with OSHA to prevent injuries and illnesses in the workplace.
OSHA and the organization sign a formal agreement with goals that address
training and education, outreach and communication, and promoting the
national dialogue on workplace safety and health.
- On-Site Consultation. Small businesses, particularly those in high-hazard
industries or involved in hazardous operations, can use this free service to
help improve their safety performance. Safety and health consultants work
with employers to identify workplace hazards, provide advice on compliance
with OSHA standards, and assist in establishing safety and health programs.
-
Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP). Employers
that participate in the On-Site Consultation Program may seek recognition
under SHARP for their exemplary safety and health programs. SHARP provides
incentives and support for small businesses to develop, implement, and
continuously improve safety and health programs.
-
 Strategic
Partnerships. Organizations can enter into
Strategic Partnerships with OSHA to address specific safety and health
issues. In a partnership, OSHA enters into an extended, voluntary,
cooperative relationship with groups of employers, employees, and employee
representatives (sometimes including other stakeholders, and sometimes
involving only one employer) in order to encourage, assist, and recognize
their efforts to eliminate serious hazards and achieve a high level of
worker safety and health.
-
 Voluntary Protection Programs
(VPP). The VPP is designed to recognize and promote effective safety and
health management. A hallmark of VPP is the principle that management, labor,
and OSHA work together in pursuit of a safe and healthy workplace. VPP
participants are work sites that have successfully designed and implemented
outstanding health and safety management systems.
For more help on deciding
which cooperative programs are right for you, see Find a Cooperative
Program.
States with OSHA-approved programs
have their own cooperative and voluntary compliance programs such as those
discussed above, as well as additional programs. Many of these programs are
described in the
annual
reports of the Occupational Safety and Health State Plan Association.
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